These days, with transnational litigation a fairly common occurrence, attorneys often set off for far-away locations to take depositions, sometimes for long stretches at a time. This adds a layer of important details and deadlines for paralegals to juggle, confirming and taking care of visa requirements and other travel-related bits and pieces to international depositions. Reserving the services of a seasoned, well-traveled court reporter, with experience reporting for such distinguished bodies as the U.N., and covering depositions and trials in regions of Africa, Asia, and others, is a major asset.
Recently Planet Depos was retained to provide court reporting services for a number of depositions in South Africa. Our reporter’s experience in covering intricate, sensitive cases worldwide is a plus for many reasons. First, she knows the drill, knows what to expect (including the unexpected), and has tried-and-true methods of surmounting issues which may arise. Second, she is a seasoned traveler, undaunted by the prospect of a 23-hour flight or cringe-worthy visa requirements. She can not only “roll with the punches” of draining international travel, she can probably provide you with some sage advice! Third, all of her experience covering high-profile cases speaks for itself. You don’t get to be the repeat reporter for the U.N., covering very long days, if you aren’t the consummate professional providing accurate, timely transcripts, realtime translation, and are accustomed to the various accents that accompany international cases.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, MGM Studios boasted of having “more stars than the heavens.” In the world of court reporting, Planet Depos can make that very same claim, having recently covered multiple days of depositions in Johannesburg, South Africa. The resume of the court reporter selected for the assignment included all of the above skills and experience – and then some. With reporters (and videographers) who are happy to travel anywhere, from Finland to Rwanda, Honduras to Japan, as well as reporters living throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, you can expect coverage with no fuss, and in some cases, no or reduced travel fees.
These stars of court reporting can understand and accurately transcribe testimony of witnesses with heavy accents, troubleshoot technical difficulties with streaming realtime, and more — all without losing their cool. More astounding, they will offer additional assistance throughout the proceedings as needed, whether it be printing exhibits or taking care of any schedule changes with the hotel or conference room center booked for your depositions. Any test calls that are needed will be handled as quickly as possible to select the appropriate location with more than adequate internet speed.
The benefits of working with such reporting professionals extend beyond the actual proceedings and related details. Ask for hotel recommendations. Ask for the best local dishes to sample, safety tips, technical/travel questions about your electronics. True, some of this information is available online, but the voice of experience is a beautiful sound when it saves you time, money and aggravation with little-known helpful tips (the kind you won’t necessarily find online). And these reporting vets will be more than happy to share!
